Joint Venture Legal Support

A joint venture lets two or more businesses combine resources toward a shared goal, but getting the structure wrong can cause problems later. Our joint venture solicitors help you set up the right arrangement and put a clear agreement in place from the outset.

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Business professionals discussing regulatory compliance in a boardroom meeting

Choosing the Right Joint Venture Structure

Not every joint venture needs the same legal form. Some arrangements work as a simple contractual agreement to cooperate, while others call for a separate company, limited liability partnership or other entity through which the venture is run. The right choice depends on how much separation you want from the other party, how profits and losses should be shared, and what happens if the relationship breaks down. Our joint venture solicitors, working with businesses across Manchester and the wider UK, talk through these options with you before drafting begins, so the agreement reflects a structure that fits what you are trying to achieve.

How Our Joint Venture Solicitors Help Business Owners

From choosing a structure to drafting the agreement, our team supports businesses entering joint ventures of every size and sector.

Joint Venture Agreement Drafting

We draft and negotiate the core joint venture agreement, setting out each party’s contribution, roles, decision making rights and what happens if circumstances change, so the document reflects what was agreed.

Structuring Your Joint Venture

We advise on whether a contractual arrangement or a separate company or partnership structure suits your venture, weighing up liability, tax and control before you commit to a particular approach.

Shareholder and Governance Arrangements

Where the joint venture involves a company, we prepare shareholder agreements and articles that set out board composition, voting rights and how day to day decisions get made between the parties.

Funding and Profit Sharing Terms

We document how each party contributes capital, how profits and losses are shared, and what happens if one side needs to invest further funds as the venture develops.

Exit and Deadlock Provisions

Our joint venture solicitors build in clear mechanisms for what happens if a party wants to leave, if the venture is sold, or if the parties reach a genuine deadlock and cannot agree a way forward.

Dispute Resolution Support

If a disagreement arises between joint venture partners, we advise on your position under the agreement and support negotiation toward a resolution before matters escalate further.

What This Means for You

  • A structure that fits your commercial arrangement.
  • An agreement that reflects what both sides agreed.
  • Clarity on funding, profit share and control.
  • A plan for exit before problems arise.
  • Support if a disagreement comes up later.

When To Seek Advice

  • You are in early talks about a joint venture with another business.
  • You need a solicitor to draft or review a joint venture agreement.
  • A partner has proposed a structure you do not fully understand.
  • You are unsure whether to use a company or a contractual arrangement.
  • A disagreement has arisen with your joint venture partner.

Meet the Founder

Marium brings 22 years of experience advising businesses on joint ventures, strategic alliances and corporate transactions across the UK and internationally. A Solicitor regulated by the SRA (ID: 277854), MCIArb, she founded MAR Legal to give businesses direct access to senior transactional legal advice without the overhead of a traditional firm.

Marium Razzaq - Solicitors in Manchester
Marium Razzaq
Solicitor & Director Mar Legal
MCIArb

Why Businesses Choose MAR Legal for Joint Ventures

Solicitor Led Advice

Every agreement is drafted and reviewed by experienced joint venture solicitors.

Fast Response

You work directly with the solicitor structuring and drafting your agreement throughout.

Fixed Fee Pricing

Costs agreed upfront wherever the scope of the joint venture allows.

Commercial Approach

Structures recommended on what fits the venture.

Trusted by business owners across Manchester and the UK for clear advice on structuring joint ventures.

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How Our Joint Venture Process Works

01

Initial Discussion

We talk through what you and your prospective partner are trying to achieve.

02

Structure and Heads of Terms

We recommend a structure and document the key commercial terms agreed.

03

Drafting the Agreement

We prepare the joint venture agreement, and any supporting documents needed.

04

Completion and Beyond

Our joint venture solicitors finalise the agreement and remain available if issues arise later.

What Our Clients Say

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Joint Venture FAQs

A joint venture is an arrangement between two or more businesses to work together toward a shared commercial goal, such as entering a new market or delivering a specific project. There is no single legal definition or required structure in the UK. It can take the form of a contractual agreement to cooperate, or a separate company, partnership or limited liability partnership set up specifically to run the venture.

Not necessarily. A contractual joint venture, sometimes called a collaboration agreement, lets two businesses work together without forming a new entity, which can be quicker and simpler to set up. A separate company or partnership is often preferred for longer term ventures, or where liability needs to be kept apart from each party’s existing business, since it provides clearer separation.

A well drafted agreement typically covers the objectives of the venture, each party’s financial and other contributions, and how management and decision making work between the parties. It should also set out how profits and losses are shared, who owns any intellectual property created along the way, and what happens if a party wants to exit or the parties reach a deadlock. The right level of detail depends on the size and complexity of the arrangement.

This depends entirely on what the agreement says, which is why deadlock provisions matter so much at the drafting stage. Common approaches include escalation to senior management, a casting vote in limited situations, a buyout mechanism triggered by one party, or referring the matter to mediation. Without a clear mechanism in place, a genuine deadlock can leave a venture unable to function.

This is agreed between the parties and set out in the agreement and does not have to match the proportion each party has contributed, though it often does. Some ventures share profits equally regardless of contribution, others weight the split toward whoever is taking on more risk or doing more of the work. What matters is that the mechanism is clearly documented before the venture begins operating.

Yes, most agreements include a variation clause setting out how changes can be made, usually requiring written agreement from all parties. Circumstances often shift over the life of a longer joint venture, so it is worth building in a reasonably straightforward process for agreeing changes, rather than requiring a full renegotiation every time something needs updating between the parties as the venture develops.

A well drafted agreement will set out how an early exit is handled, including how that party’s interest is valued, whether remaining parties have first refusal to buy them out, and what happens to any assets or contracts tied to the venture. Where the agreement is silent or unclear on exit, resolving an early departure becomes considerably more difficult and often more contentious.

MAR Legal provides advisory and documentation support in relation to joint ventures and related business arrangements. Where a matter involves reserved legal activities, we work alongside appropriately regulated professionals.